The hardest hit was Barangay Almacen here with flood waters rising up to six feet.
Bancas that charged passengers at P20 each one way were the only means of transportation in going in and out of the village.
The Almacen River overflowed, turning the village into a virtual “water world.”
Alejandria Santiago, 86, lives in a concrete house near the river. She said flood waters have been affecting her village for more than 70 years since she got married when she was 18 years old.
She could not say what causes the flood. “Matagal na baha. Mula pagkabata ko kapag nagtag-ulan, bumabaha,” the old woman said.
She said as in the past floods, she just stays in her house. “Hindi kami nag-eevacuate, sa bahay lang,” Santiago said.
Liezel Limpiada, Almacen barangay secretary, said they have experienced rains since Friday last week and that flooding in the village started Friday afternoon this week.
She said 1,500 families in the village are affected but they prefer to stay home. “Ang ginagawa ng barangay monitoring at check ng level ng baha para masabihan ang mga tao kung kailangan ang evacuation pero walang nag-eevacuate dito,” the village secretary said.
“Kabilin-bilinan ni Kapitan Emeterio Villafania maging maingat ang lahat,” Limpiada said.
Hadji Galura, a resident, said flood waters in Almacen rose Saturday morning.“Lampas- tao na. Tanging bangka lamang pwedeng sakyan,” he said.
Flood waters from Almacen swept through neighboring barangays Daungan and Pulo. A big portion of the land planted to rice in Pulo was like a vast sea after it was submerged by floodwaters.
Flood waters in Daungan rose from two to three feet.
The Provincial Disaster Risk, Reduction and Management Office reported that two barangays in Dinalupihan town were affected with two feet of flood waters while seven barangays in Orani town are submerged by more than two feet of flood waters.
